Live On I-5

Soundgarden | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 22, 2011)
• Original Release Date: 2011
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: A&M Records
• ASIN: B004J19I04
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Music
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (33 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #9,913 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Live archive release from the Grunge/Hard Rockers that compiles live tracks from a 1996 tour by the band and captures the band at the height of their recording and touring career. This carefully selected compilation includes fan favorites like 'Spoonman', 'Rusty Cage', 'Burden In My Hand', and 'Black Hole Sun' (performed by Chris Cornell solo),as well what insiders are calling the definitive live performance of 'Jesus Christ Pose'. As a bonus, the disc includes two brilliantly inspired covers: The Beatles' 'Helter Skelter' and The Stooges' anarchic proto-punk classic, 'Search & Destroy'. The band took out recording engineer, Adam Kasper with them on the West Coast leg of this tour- the first time they ever recorded any live shows. They rented a mobile 24 track machine/truck and recorded the gigs on 2' tape. Soundgarden had always intended to release it as a live record soon after the tour, but alas, they disbanded and the tapes were left in the closet of Studio X in Seattle to gather dust until now.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Better 15 years late than never. March 22, 2011

By H3@+h

Format:Audio CD

First let me say that there's a version of this that comes with a 3 track DVD also. The songs "Searching With My Good Eye Closed", "Let Me Drown" and "Face Pollution". It's exclusive to that Big Box store with the yellow pricetags.

This was all recorded during their 1996 tour along the west coast, hence the title. It's not all the same show but I think it's stronger because of that. I've had a live 1994 European bootleg for years and this sounds way, way better. I would hope so being an official release. The tracklist is as expected: heavy on the last three albums with all the essential "hits". I could complain at length about having no songs from Ultramega OK or Louder Than Love here, but I'll stay positive.

Other than the obvious choices I'm most pleased that "Searching With My Good Eye Closed" made the cut. A personal top 5 song of mine. I also wouldn't expect to see "Head Down" or "Boot Camp" here, but glad they are. Having spent time in the military I can really relate to that song. Soundgarden has always chosen their covers well. In the past they've done Sabbath, Stones and Devo. Here we get The Beatles and The Stooges. Both well done. The singing on this release is good, but not quite to the studio standards. But seriously, who could belt these songs out for 90 minutes a night. Your throat would bleed.

So last year we get an updated "Best Of" collection and DVD. Here's our long awaited live album (77+ min). I suppose those B-sides will show in the near future. Oh, and they're working on a new album too. Maybe some tour dates will produce a "Live in 2011" album someday...like in 2026.

21 of 23 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars So worth it... March 24, 2011

By Kyle Rattner

Format:Audio CD

Being a 'garden fan forever I'm very critical of their work. I have tons of bootlegs of shows and rare discs. When people say Cornell can either be really off or really on, they are very right. Hell, even Cornell himself said Soundgarden was a band that could just as easily be off as it could be on while performing... but when they were on, they were golden greek gods wrapped in heavenly buttered tortillas.
With that being said, on this record they are ON. Believe me. You will hear people say that Cornell's not hitting the notes on the songs the way he did on the record blah blah blah. Here's what they don't understand though... Chris interprets songs differently live and I don't think he ever gave a crap about recreating the exact same thing as on the studio recording. To him and the rest of the band their music is living and breathing art... and it naturally evolves the more they play it. On this record he's not hitting bad notes, he's just doing some different melodies here and there and doing things completely different than he did in the studio. To me that is AMAZING. But some people aren't comfortable with that. Would I want a live record of a band that does everything the exact same way as they did on the record? Hell no! And I can't imagine why anyone else would. Before getting this album, the thought of hearing improvisations and new melodies excited me... especially since we've been listening to the same songs with the same melodies for 20 years. If you're a real fan of the band and understand what I'm gettin' at, you will LOVE this record. People bent out of shape because Cornell's not hitting the same melodies as on record should just listen to what they are comfortable with... the studio recordings. If you want to hear one of the reasons Soundgarden was legendary (creativity, improvisation, and thunderfuk of a live show), then pick this up ASAP!

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars A Great Band, But Not The Best Period to Chronicle April 1, 2011

By John Bumstead

Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase

The tracklisting is great. The sound quality is great. Cornell's voice .... not so much.

I think any Soundgarden fan will enjoy this album, but considering it is the first official live release by the band, I'm surprised that no one vetoed its release. It's not because it's horrible ... I just feel that they must have something in their archive that better captures Cornell's singing ability. This was recorded on their last tour before breaking up and you can feel impending sense that the magic is close to running out in these recordings. Cornell doesn't even try to hit the high notes of the 3rd song, Let Me Drown, and when he does go for the highs, you can tell the booze and cigarettes have been part of the daily diet for a while.

Having heard Cornell recently, I have a lot of faith that his vocal cords have been restored and I'm anxiously awaiting their new record. This album will tide me over, but I can't help but feel that I was cheated out of a better collection of early recordings that would have captured the magic of this band better.